My father loved a flutter and the newspaper could always be found with the racing pages open. He and my mother had many a discussion regarding the success or failure of his betting activities, and I suppose it was only natural that I would take an interest in the sport.

During my days in national school, the local Punchestown Festival was run over three days and we were given a half day on two of those days to allow us to attend the races. Later, in secondary school, pupils were rewarded with three full days off, which was ‘manna from heaven’ for a racing fan like me. Back then, there was a free side at Punchestown, where children could play on swing boats and chair-o-planes. It is sad that that is no longer there, as it added to the excitement for the younger race goers. I firmly believe that if you can encourage people to come racing from a young age, you can keep them for life.